Non-orthogonal multiple access configuration in split base station architectures

Abstract

The present disclosure describes techniques and apparatuses for non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) configuration procedures in split base station architectures, including the configuration of user equipment (UE) for NOMA transmission. The base station receives a trigger relating to a UE. Responsive to the trigger, the base station configures the UE to perform NOMA transmission by at least one of a Central Unit of the base station transmitting a first message including the NOMA configuration to a Distributed Unit of the base station and transmitting a second message including the NOMA configuration to the UE, the Central Unit transmitting the second message including the NOMA configuration to the UE, or the Distributed Unit transmitting a third message including the NOMA configuration to the Central Unit and the Central Unit transmitting the second message including the NOMA configuration to the UE.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a base station, a first trigger relating to a first user equipment; 
 generating, by the base station, a non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, wherein the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration includes a plurality of multiple access signatures and transmission occasions information for non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; and 
 responsive to the first trigger, sending, by the base station, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission by at least one of: 
 a Central Unit of the base station transmitting a first message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to a Distributed Unit of the base station; 
 the Central Unit transmitting a second message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment; or 
 the Distributed Unit transmitting a third message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the Central Unit; and 
 the Central Unit ( 121 ) transmitting a fourth message ( 734 ) including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the receiving the first trigger relating to the first user equipment comprises at least one of:
 receiving, by the Central Unit, an indication of at least one service condition of the first user equipment; or 
 receiving, by the Distributed Unit, an indication of at least one service condition of the first user equipment, and 
 
 wherein the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises at least one of:
 a capability of the first user equipment indicating that the first user equipment supports non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; 
 a quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment; or 
 Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 :
 wherein the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises the quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment; 
 wherein the receiving the indication of the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises receiving the quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment; and 
 wherein the base station sending the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission further comprises configuring, by the Central Unit, the first user equipment according to the quality of service profile. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 :
 wherein the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises the Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment; 
 wherein the receiving the indication of the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises receiving the Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment; and 
 wherein the base station sending the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission further comprises configuring, by the Central Unit, the first user equipment according to the Protocol Data Unit Session Information. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 :
 wherein the receiving, by the base station, of the first trigger relating to a first user equipment comprises receiving, by the Central Unit, the first trigger relating to a first user equipment; 
 wherein the receiving, by the Central Unit, of the indication of the at least one service condition comprises receiving the quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment; and 
 wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the service condition to the Distributed Unit; and 
 transmitting, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment, to the user equipment to configure the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission according to the quality of service profile. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 :
 wherein the receiving, by the base station, of the first trigger relating to a first user equipment comprises receiving, by the Central Unit, the first trigger relating to a first user equipment; 
 wherein the receiving, by the Central Unit, of the indication of the at least one service condition comprises receiving the Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment; and 
 wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the service condition to the Distributed Unit; and 
 transmitting, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment, to the user equipment to configure the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission according to the Protocol Data Unit Session Information. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 :
 wherein the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises the capability of the first user equipment indicating that the first user equipment supports non-orthogonal multiple access transmission, and 
 wherein the base station receiving the first trigger comprises at least one of:
 receiving, by the Central Unit, the service condition in a fifth message from at least one of the first user equipment, a core network node, or another base station; or 
 receiving, by the Distributed Unit, the service condition in a sixth message from at least one of the first user equipment, or the Central Unit. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the base station receiving the first trigger comprises receiving at least one message on behalf of the first user equipment; and 
 wherein the message received on behalf of the first user equipment comprises one or more measurement results from the first user equipment. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the base station, at least one uplink transmission from the first user equipment; and 
 responsive to the base station receiving the at least one uplink transmission from the first user equipment, the Distributed Unit transmitting a request message to the Central Unit, wherein the request message includes a request for the Central Unit to configure the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the base station, at least one uplink transmission from the first user equipment; 
 determining, by the Distributed Unit, if the first user equipment has an acceptable uplink channel condition according to the at least one uplink transmission; and 
 wherein responsive to determining that the first user equipment has the acceptable uplink channel condition, transmitting, by the Distributed Unit, a request message to the Central Unit for configuration of the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by the Distributed Unit, an activation check to determine if the first user equipment has activated non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; and 
 wherein, responsive to determining that the first user equipment has not activated non-orthogonal multiple access transmission, transmitting, by the Distributed Unit, a non-orthogonal multiple access activation command to the first user equipment, 
 wherein the non-orthogonal multiple access activation command comprises at least one of:
 Downlink Control Information; or 
 a Media Access Control-Control Element. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the base station, a non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to a second user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; 
 receiving, by the base station, a combined signal including a first signal from the first user equipment with a first multiple access signature on a first transmission occasion and a second signal from the second user equipment with a second multiple access signature on a second transmission occasion; and 
 recovering, by the base station, at least one of the first signal or the second signal from the combined signal. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the base station, a first control message to the first user equipment, wherein the first control message contains a first activation/deactivation indicator; 
 transmitting, by the base station, a second control message to the second user equipment, wherein the second control message contains a second activation/deactivation indicator; 
 receiving, by the base station, a first signal with a first multiple access signature on a first transmission occasion from the first user equipment; 
 receiving, by the base station, a second signal with a second multiple access signature on a second transmission occasion from the second user equipment; 
 receiving, by the base station, a combined signal including the first signal and the second signal; and 
 utilizing, by the base station, a multiple-user detection receiver to recover the first signal and the second signal from the combined signal. 
 
     
     
       14. A base station comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a computer-readable storage media having stored thereon instructions that, responsive to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receive a first trigger relating to a first user equipment; 
 generate a non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, wherein the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration includes a plurality of multiple access signatures and transmission occasions information for non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; and 
 responsive to the first trigger, send the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission, configuration of the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission further comprising at least one of: 
 transmit, by a Central Unit of the base station, a first message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to a Distributed Unit of the base station; or 
 transmit, by the Central Unit, a second message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment; or 
 transmit, by the Distributed Unit, a third message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the Central Unit; and 
 transmit, by the Central Unit a fourth message including the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration to the first user equipment. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The base station of  claim 14 :
 wherein the operation of receive the first trigger relating to a first user equipment further comprises at least one of:
 receive, by the Central Unit, an indication of at least one service condition of the first user equipment; or 
 receive, by the Distributed Unit, an indication of at least one service condition of the first user equipment, and 
 
 wherein the at least one service condition of the first user equipment comprises at least one of:
 a capability of the first user equipment indicating that the first user equipment supports non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; 
 a quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment; or 
 Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The base station of  claim 15 :
 wherein the operation of receive the first trigger relating to a first user equipment further comprises:
 receive, by the Central Unit, the first trigger relating to a first user equipment, and 
 
 wherein the operation of receive, by the Central Unit, the indication of the at least one service condition comprises:
 receive the quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment, and 
 
 wherein the processor performs operations further comprising:
 transmit, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the service condition to the Distributed Unit; and 
 transmit, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the quality of service profile associated with the first user equipment, to the user equipment to configure the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission according to the quality of service profile. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The base station of  claim 15 :
 wherein the operation of receive the first trigger relating to a first user equipment further comprises:
 receive, by the Central Unit, the first trigger relating to a first user equipment, and 
 
 wherein the operation of receive, by the Central Unit, the indication of the at least one service condition further comprises:
 receive the Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment, and 
 
 wherein the processor performs operations further comprising:
 transmit, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the service condition to the Distributed Unit; and 
 transmit, by the Central Unit, the non-orthogonal multiple access configuration, including the Protocol Data Unit Session Information associated with the first user equipment, to the user equipment to configure the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission according to the Protocol Data Unit Session Information. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The base station of  claim 14 , further comprising the processor performing operations further comprising:
 receive at least one uplink transmission from the first user equipment; and 
 responsive to the base station receiving the at least one uplink transmission from the first user equipment, transmit, by the Distributed Unit, a request message to the Central Unit, wherein the request message includes a request for the Central Unit to configure the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission. 
 
     
     
       19. The base station of  claim 14 , further comprising the processor performing operations further comprising:
 receive at least one uplink transmission from the first user equipment; 
 determine, by the Distributed Unit, if the first user equipment has an acceptable uplink channel condition according to the at least one uplink transmission; and 
 wherein responsive to determining that the first user equipment has the acceptable uplink channel condition, transmit, by the Distributed Unit, a request message to the Central Unit for configuration of the first user equipment to perform non-orthogonal multiple access transmission. 
 
     
     
       20. The base station of  claim 14 , further comprising the processor performing operations further comprising:
 perform, by the Distributed Unit, an activation check to determine if the first user equipment has activated non-orthogonal multiple access transmission; and 
 wherein, responsive to determining that the first user equipment has not activated non-orthogonal multiple access transmission, transmit, by the Distributed Unit, a non-orthogonal multiple access activation command to the first user equipment, 
 wherein the non-orthogonal multiple access activation command comprises at least one of:
 Downlink Control Information; or 
 a Media Access Control-Control Element.